Slitting device



May 22, 1951 H. L. HASWELL 2,554,027

SLITTING DEVICE Filed July 2a, 194 2 sheets-sheet 1 &

I INVENTOR.

Hg/Mr L. H/75WELL BY H. L. HASWELL May 22,1951

SLITTING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet, 2

' Filed July 23, 1946 4 INVEN TOR. f/f/V/PV A. HflSM/ELL BYw Patented May 22, 1951 SLITTIN G DEVICE Henry L. Haswell, Brevard, N. 0., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Ecusta Paper Corporation, Pisgah Forest, N. 0., a corporation of Delaware 7 Application July 23, 1946, Serial No. 685,731

' v 3 Claims.

This invention relates to slitting devices of the type in which circular shear elements and relatively flexible cutting knives are associated for rotation in overlapping relation under sidewise pressures More particularly, the invention relates to an improved means for associating the shear elements and cutting knives in this manner.

It is usual in a slitting device of the above type, in order to provide for enga-gingand disengaging the slitting elements, to mount the cutting knives so that they may be moved transversely in and out of sidewise engagement with the shear elements incident to movement in and out of overlapping relation. Such an arrangement is necessary to avoid dulling or nicking of the slitting elements as they are engaged and disengaged.

According to the conventional arrangement the shear elements are carried by a rotating roll member and the cutting knives are disposed from a common support in individual mountings with all of the cutting knives aligned on a common axis of rotation parallel to the axis of the above mentioned roll member, and with the cutting knives thus disposed in a plane of rotation parallel to the plane of rotation of the shear elements carried by the roll member. Provision is made as mentioned above for moving the cutting knives transversely incident to engagement and disengagement of the cutting knives with the shear elements; and in order to obtain effective association of the cutting knives with the shear elements when engaged, means are provided for maintaining the cutting knives under sidewise pressure against the shear elements. I

This arrangement has occasioned difliculty because the cutting knives are relatively flexible and, while sufficient sidewise pressure must be employed to obtain effective engagement with V r the shear elements, a slight excess of sidewise pressure will cause the cutting knives to flex so that they are distorted out of the plane of rotation of the shear elements at the point of overlap. This distortion causes the cutting knives to ride the cutting edges of the shear elements so that these edges become dull rapidly during operation.

It is difficult in adjusting the sidewise pressure on the cutting knives to avoid this distortion because, as mentioned above, the pressure on the knives must be .suflicient to obtain effective engagement with the shear elements, and as the distortion is not readily perceptible there is a natural inclination on the part of operatives to use an excessive sidewise pressure. Moreover, as the shear elements become dull there isa further tendency on the part of operatives to increase the sidewise pressure which makes the flexing of the cutting knives more pronounced and increases the dulling effect.

The above mentioned difficulty is obviated according to the present invention by an improved means for associating the cutting knives with the shear elements. Briefly described, the invention contemplates an arrangement for mounting the cutting knives with their axes of rotation disposed angularly with respect to the axis of rotation of the shear elements so that the cutting knives flex under sidewise pressure into, rather than out of, the plane of rotation of the shear elements at the point of overlap. This arrangement allows the cutting knives to be adjusted effectively against the faces of the shear elements in a manner such that flexing of the cutting knives will not cause dulling of the shear elements during operation.

The present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, mainly diagrammatic, of a type of slitting and rewinding machine to which the present invention is applicable;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary detail in elevation of the slitting mechanism of the machine shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a corresponding plan view;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section of one of the individual. mountings for the cutting knives arranged according to the present invention;

Fig. 5 is a corresponding side view; and,

Fig. 6 is a corresponding plan view.

The slitting device of the present invention, may andusually will be associated as a part of a winding machine. The winding machine may be of any conventional form. In the drawing, the invention is illustrated in connection with a machine of the type in which a paper web or the'like Iii is slit and rewound into bobbins H (see Fig. 1*). The paper web It is drawn from any suitable supply source (not shown), and passes over an idler roll i2 to a slitting mechanism comprising a, roll member l3 carrying shear elements, as described more in detail below, and associated with cutting knives I4. From the slitting mechanism, the slit portions of the web it pass alternately over driving rolls I5 which efiect rewinding to form the bobbins II. The various elements of the machine are supported by a suitable frame 3 structure It on which arms I! are pivoted to support the bobbins II.

The slitting mechanism is illustrated more in detail in Figs. 2 and 3. As shown, the roll member I3 is journalled for rotation in the frame structure it and, as mentioned above, the roll member [3 carries shear elements 58. The'shear elements [8 are generally disc-shaped and are provided with a central opening (not shown) so that they may be fitted over a central shaft [9 and positioned by spacer blocks as to form the roll member l3. The shear elements !3 are formed of hardened steeland ground :to provide a cutting edge as indicated at 2i. The spacer blocks 28 pcsition the shearelements l8 apart according to the widths in which it is desired to slit the paper web I8, and the shear elements !3 and spacer blocks 26 are assembled and secured on the central shaft iii in any convenient manner (not shown).

As mentioned above, the roll member I3 is associated with cutting knives it which cooperate with the cutting edges 2! of shear elements 18 to effect slitting of the paper web H). The cutting knives id are disposed from a common support member 22 which is of generally rectangular cross-section and terminates in round portions 23 which are carried in supporting frame 56 and are adapted to slide and rotate in frame It. This arrangement is provided to allow for engagement and disengagement of the cutting knives 14 with shear elements is as previously mentioned. For this purpose, the round portion 23 at the right end of support member 22 extends beyond frame It (as seen best in Fig. 3) to engage a manipulating handle 25. This manipulating handle 24 is pivoted as at 25 on the extending portion of right end portion 23 of support member 22 and is provided with an adjusting screw 23.

A compression spring 2? is arranged on the extending right end portion 23 to bear against the inside of frame it so that support member 22 will be moved to the left (as seen in Fig. 3) when spring 2? is not resisted. Spring 21 may be resisted by pivoting manipulating handle 24 toward frame IE so that adjusting screw 2 5 engages frame It and acts as a fulcrum around which force may be applied by handle 24 to move support member 22 to the right against the pressure of spring 21. A retaining bracket 23 is mounted on frame it to engage handle 24 and hold it in thispivoted position when desired. By proper adjustment of screw 2% the required sidewise movement of support member 22 can be obtained to bringcutting knives M into operating engagement with shear elements is. For disengagement, the handle 24 is released from retaining bracket 28 to allow movement of support member 22 to the left under the pressure of spring 21, and then handle 24 is moved downward (as seen in Fig. 3) to rotate support member 22 in frame l6 and rock the cutting knives it out of overlapping relation with shear elements 58. Arrangements of this sort for engaging and disengaging the cutting knives M are well known in the art and are not believed to require further detailed description.

The disposition of the cutting knives [4 for association with the shear elements it according to the present invention is shown generally in Figs. 2 and 3, and illustrated more in detail in Figs. 4,. 5 and 6. The cutting knives it are carried by individual mountings 29 secured on support member 22. These mountings 29 are positioned in a channel-33 formed in -support member-22 and are cutting knives fixed in place by screw members 3| which extend through openings 32 in support member 22 to engage mountings 29 as shown. The openings 32 are elongated lengthwise of support member 20 to allow for individual sidewise adjustment of the mountings 29. The upperportion of mounting 29 is bifurcated and fitted with bearing inserts 33 to support the [4 for rotation. The cutting knives M are carried directly by bushings 34 which are threaded to receive a clamping ring 35 adapted to. position and clamp the cutting knives Min place when assembled on the bushings 34. The bushings Mare arranged for rotation on a pin 36 which fits bearing inserts 33 and is threaded to engage a nut 3'! for securing in the inserts 33.

The lower portion of mountings 29 is formed with a biased positioning extension 38 which fits .into the previously mentioned channel 3!] provided in support member 22. The bias of this p0- sitioning extension 38 is such that the cutting knives I4 are disposed in the mountings 29 with their axis of rotation disposed angularly with respect to the axis of rotation of the roll member 5 3 and so that at the point of overlap the cutting knives M project toward the shear elements is carried by roll member I 3. Accordingly, when the cutting knives l4 are shifted transversely, as described above, for engagement with shear elements Hi, the angularly projecting disposition of the cutting knives l4 results in flexing of the knives against the face of the shear elements [8 so that they are disposed in the plane of rotation of the shear elements [3 at the point of overlapping engagement. In the usual instance, an angularity of about 3 for the cutting knives I4 will produce the desired result. This angularity may be adjusted according to. particular circumstances as required, but in any event should be such as to allow the cutting knives I 4 to flex against the face of the shear elements l8 into the plane of rotation of the shear elements.

By this arrangement, the flexing of the cutting knives M, which is normally encountered as they are associated with shear elements it, can be accommodated without causing dulling of the cutting edges 25 of shear elements 13 during operation. Moreover, when associated with the shear elements 18 according to the present invention, flexing of the cutting knives. l4 facilitates effective engagement with theshear elements [8 because this flexing tends to localize the sidewise pressure at the point of overlapping engagement between the cutting knives l4 and shear elements I8 and thus improve the slitting cooperation of these. elements.

While the present inventionv has been described above for purposes of illustration in connection with an embodiment-in aparticular type of slitting and rewinding machine, the'slitting device of this invention may be employed generally in slitting operations, andthis general application of the present inventionis contemplated in the appended claims.

I claim:

.1. In a slitting device in which circular shear elements and. relatively flexible cutting knives are associated for rotationin overlapping engagement under. sidewise pressure, means for associating said cutting knives with said shear elements comprising ,a. rigid supporting member for each of said cutting knives disposing-the axis of rotation of saidknives angularly in a plane extending radially from the axis of said shear elements so that the cutting knives project toward said shear elements at the point of overlap, said supporting members being provided with bearing means carrying said cutting knives at their axis of rotation with a major annular portion of said cutting knives extending from said bearing means whereby said cutting knives may flex under said sidewise pressure into the plane of rotation of said shear elements at the point of overlap.

2. In a slitting device in which circular shear elements carried by a, rotating roll member and relatively flexible, rotating, cutting knives operate in overlapping face to face engagement under sidewise pressure, means for associating said cutting knives with said shear elements comprising a rigid supporting member for each of said cutting knives, said supporting members being biased to dispose the axis of rotation of said knives with an angularity in a, plane extending radially from the axis of the roll member carrying said shear elements such that the cutting knives project toward the face of said shear elements at the point of overlapping engagement, and said supporting members being provided with bearing means carrying said cutting knives at their axis of rotation with a major annular portion of said cutting knives extending from said bearing means whereby said cutting knives may flex against the face of said shear elements under said sidewise pressure into the plane of rotation of said shear elements at the point of overlapping engagement.

3. In a slitting device in which cincular shear elements carried by a rotating roll member and relatively flexible, rotating, cutting knives operate in overlapping face to face engagement under sidewise pressure, and in which means are provided for engaging and disengaging said cutting knives with said shear elements, means for associating said cutting knives with said shear elements comprising a rigid supporting member for said cutting knives disposed parallel with the axis of the roll member carrying said shear elements, and individual rigid mounting means for each of said cutting knives on said supporting member biased to dispose the axis of rotation of said knives with an angularity in a plane extending radially from the axis of the roll member carrying said shear elements such that the butting knives project toward the face of said shear elements at the point of overlapping engagement, said individual mounting means being provided with bearing means carrying said cutting knives at their axis of rotation with a, major annular portion of said cutting knives extending from said bearing means whereby said cutting knives may flex against the face of said shear elements under said sidewise pressure into the plane of rotation of said shear elements at the point of overlapping engagement.

HENRY L. HASWELL.

Name Date Stocker Jan. 23, 1945 Number 

